The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

The reasons whereby he would bring some credit unto thes canons / are to light. For where he reckoneth up certain things found in other writers / not contained in those canons: he should have known that there might be other things handled in that council / which were not brought into canons. For example / that which he reciteth out off Ambrose / touching the second marriage off the clerks, was talked on in the council / as I have showed before: but yet there was no canon made off it / as may appear by the stories before alleged. For it was brought in / not as a thing whereof they would consult: but alleged as a reason by Paphnutius / to bar that which they would otherwise have decreed. As for the council off Arles: it speaketh not off the council off Nice / but only off a great Synod: and to restrain that to that council / is but a friarly note / which the gatherer off the councils maketh / to get some credit to those 70. canons / which the Ans. would thrust upon us. There were things alleged in the council / which those nigh the times wherein it was holden / might come to the knowledge off by report off those present at the council: which make nothing for proof off a greater number off canons▪ For it is not like that the Canons of the Nicene council / whereof every Bishop through the world (as the Bishop off Salisbury proveth) had a copy / were lost. And if there were such a number as he would have us believe: yet when the ancient writers which follow so near the council / or lived in that time / could not come to the knowledge off them: is it like that this upstart / not led with any desire off search off antiquity ⟨p. CCCCXC⟩/ but as appeareth with a devilish appetite of advancing the seat off Antichrist / should discover such a hoard of Canons? But if this new recorder seem unto you to have brought the other canons to light: then belike he hath those you cite out off the Council off Arles / off Jerome / and Ambrose. if not (wherein I refer the reader unto the Canons / not having the book:) then it might have been argument / that those canons came not out of any store house off learned monuments / but out of his one forge.

The reasons wherby he would bring some credit vnto thes canons / are to light. For where he reckeneth vp certeine thinges found in other writers / not conteined in those canons: he should haue knowen that there might be other thinges handled in that councell / which vvere not browght into canons. For example / that which he reciteth owte off Ambrose / towching the second mariage off the clerckes, was talked on in the councell / as I haue shewed before: but yet there was no canon made off yt / as may appeare by the stories before alledged. For yt was browght in / not as a thing wherof they would consult: but alledged as a reason by Paphnutius / to bar that which they would otherwise haue decreed. As for the councell off Arles: yt speaketh not off the councell off Nice / but onely off a great Synode: and to restreigne that to that councell / is but a frierly note / which the gatherer off the councels maketh / to get some credite to those 70. canons / which the Ans. would thruste vppon vs. There were thinges alledged in the councell / which those nigh the times wherin yt was holden / might come to the knowledge off by reporte off those present at the councell: which make nothing for profe off a greater number off canons For it is not like that the Canons of the Nicene councell / wheroff euery Bishop throwgh the world (as the Bishop off Salisbury proueth) had a copie / were loste. And if there were suche a nomber as he woulde haue vs belieue: yet when the auncient writers which folowe so nere the councell / or liued in that time / could not come to the knowledge off them: ys it like that this vpstarte / not led vvith any desyre off searche off antiquitie